Police issue statement after Yorkshire fracking protest

Staff Reporter

Police have issued a statement following a protest about fracking in Kirby Misperton.

Superintendent Dave Hannan said that a small number of complaints had been made following the incident.

Head of specialist operations Supt Hannan said: “North Yorkshire Police has well-rehearsed plans to deal with such events. Although the circumstances which led to the protest action at Kirby Misperton on Tuesday were not anticipated, we were able to put those plans in place and they were effective.

“We are mindful of the small number of complaints relating to the protest. However, we were able to keep disruption to a minimum while keeping people safe, which is always our absolute priority.

“The role of the police in such situations is to uphold the law and prevent crime and disorder, facilitate the right to peaceful protest, whilst balancing the needs and the rights of the communities and businesses affected.

“Overall, our response to the protest met our aims. North Yorkshire Police will continually assess our approach and adapt to the ongoing situation.”

Last year, North Yorkshire County Council voted seven to four in favour of Third Energy's application to extract shale gas at a site near the Ryedale village

Fracking involves drilling into the earth and directing a high-pressure water mixture at rock to release the gas inside.